How much do F1 drivers earn?
29 October 2009
A list of the 2009 F1 drivers’ wages has been revealed ahead of the final Formula One race in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Ferrari racer Kimi Raikkonen tops the list earning a cool $45 million with former world champion Lewis Hamilton earning $18 million.
Gallery: Who are the top earners
Jenson Button – the 2009 F1 world champion – earned $5 million, after reportedly taking a pay-cut following Honda’s departure from Formula One at the beginning of the year.
The list was published on Arabianbusiness.com, compiled by Tom Rubython, author of Ayrton Senna biography The Life of Senna.
Rubython told Arabianbusiness.com: “There may be a global recession going on but being an F1 driver means you earned a fortune last year.
“These figures are just basic salaries, and don’t include sponsorship and other income, which can often be three times that amount.”
The 20 drivers who will hit the grid for the final time at the newly launched Abu Dhabi circuit this weekend earned a combined total of $126.8 million – or £76.6 million.
Gallery: Jenson Button's Bugatti Veyron and winning the F1 world title (and giving Lewis Hamilton a little hug)
Click below to view our image gallery of Jenson Button’s cars:
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